Copyright © 2014 by Curtis Couch
Votes/comments are much appreciated. Thanks!
Chapter 5
Mike had walked south on Broadway for about 10 minutes when he arrived at the theatres. He saw a prima donna splashed across the billboards. First, he saw her face, next, her name. Karpov sounded familiar, though he couldn’t recall where or how. After a brief pause, he went to the booth, “One ticket for Swan Lake?”
“Sorry sir, sold out.”
“Name’s Mike.”
“Do you play chess per chance?”
“Actually, yes.”
“You’re in luck sir, we have a reservation for you.”
Mike followed the attendant through to the hall, the performance hadn’t started yet. He turned to look at the boxes, and because of the man he saw, remembered why the name Karpov was familiar to him. It was a notorious New York mobster, and Mike realised that he was courting his daughter.
“Fuck.”
He turned back to the stage. Tatiana appeared dancing the prologue in which Odette is transformed into a swan. Under the spotlight, he thought her resplendent.
Mike had never thought much about ballet, but now he was absorbed. He got caught up in the emotion, was moved by the story, most of all by the prima donna. For two hours he was captivated. He thought he caught Tatiana look at him somewhere in the second act, though he couldn’t be sure. Then at last she leaped to her death, and the curtain came down.
***
Mike was joining the throng filing out the exits when he felt a tug on his sleeve; it was Sarah. He recognised her as the girl Tatiana had led out the bar the other night.
“Hi,” she said, “you Mike?”
“Yeah, how’d you know?”
“Tatiana said what seat you were in. I tried calling you before, but there are a lot of people. You mustn’t have heard.”
Sarah looked different than the other night when she had evidently got dressed up. She looked younger, and Mike knew that Tatiana had sent her home because she was too young to drink.
Sarah smiled, “Tat wants to see you.”
Mike’s heart raced.
“Ok.”
Sarah led him backstage, down a corridor, and knocked on the dressing room door, “Come in.”
It was Tatiana’s voice.
Mike walked in. Tatiana had a dressing gown on, her hair was tied up, and face was white with stage make up. Then Mike saw him – Mr. Karpov - he froze. This man had run a secret war back in the 80’s. The blood still stained the city streets.
“It is nice to meet you,” Mr. Karpov said.
“Nice to meet you too,” Mike stammered.
There was a silence while Karpov studied him.
“You are famous chessplayer? We love chess in my country.”
There was a long silence. Mike darted his eyes from Karpov to Tatiana, and back. He didn’t know what to do, what to say. Hell, what do you say to a famous mobster when you’re courting his daughter?
“You like my daughter?”
“Yes.”
Karpov surveyed him some more, then he left saying only to his daughter, “I love you, goodbye sweetheart.”
YOU ARE READING
Tatiana
Short StoryMike is a gifted chess player, but he's long since given up on life. He doesn't see the point in doing anything anymore. It isn't until he meets a pre-eminent ballerina - Tatiana - that he finally begins to understand. But it is perhaps too late. Co...
